How 5pc who cycle to work mean riding a DONKEY is quicker than getting a bus

LONDON’S commuters could find it quicker riding a donkey to work than getting a bus as cycle works – for the benefit of an elite five per cent who pedal – cause further congestion in the capital’s streets.

Buses in London move slower than mice

Official figures which came out as London groans under the weight of the million pound construction show the average bus speed in the capital is a maximum 9.2 miles per hour.To put it into perspective, a donkey moves at 10mph, chickens can reach six miles per hour and mice can do eight miles per hour.Figures released by Transport for London (TfL) reveal that the number 15 bus, which runs from Blackwall in the east of the capital to Charing Cross in the centre, travels at an average speed of just 5mph.

The bus route goes through many areas impacted by the so-called Cycle Superhighway, which has caused gridlock for commuters and families.

Figures from the 2011 census show around five per cent of workers in the capital use their pushbikes to get to work – but the growing number of segregated cycle lanes are causing traffic chaos.

Just last month, bus users and motorists found a five minute rush hour journey from one side of Vauxhall Bridge to another took more than an hour because of the so-called Cycle Superhighway taking up a lane.

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London’s cyclist comprise just five per cent of commuters

Figures from the 2011 census show around five per cent of workers in the capital use their pushbikes to get to work – but the growing number of segregated cycle lanes are causing traffic chaos.Just last month, bus users and motorists found a five minute rush hour journey from one side of Vauxhall Bridge to another took more than an hour because of the so-called Cycle Superhighway taking up a lane.And London Travelwatch, the watchdog group for public transport users in the capital, admitted that, while it was important for cycling to be safer, it was “inevitable” cycle works would cause delays.

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Taxis say the cycling routes were poorly planned

It is sucking the lifeblood of London

Steve McNamara

And it isn’t just buses that cyclists, whose pet project is costing the taxpayer £53.6million, are causing a problem for.The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association say that it has a serious impact on their business.General Secretary Steve McNamara said: “We don’t actually disagree that there should be a scheme, but we want to get the right scheme for London. The one being built is not right for our 24-hour city.

“There is evidence that it is sucking the lifeblood of London, causing traffic jams, with hundreds stuck bumper to bumper, poisoning everybody else with pollution.”

Meanwhile London TravelWatch chair Stephen Locke said: “The recent deterioration in bus performance is now affecting many people’s lives – with longer waiting times and longer journey times making it harder than ever to get round on the capital’s bus network.

At present London’s drivers spend at least 250 hours stuck in traffic and this is set to increase to 299 hours in 2030 – the equivalent of 40 working days a year. Congestion is costing London £5.4 billion a year: the equivalent of £2,765 per household.Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport, said: “London’s continued success and unprecedented population growth means that ours is a very busy city with a huge range of construction projects underway having a short term effect on traffic.”We are also undertaking a £4bn programme to modernise London’s roads, with £200m being invested in new bus priority measures to make bus journeys more reliable.

“We’re doing everything possible to mitigate congestion, including deploying a team of new on-street officers to clear obstructions and move unlawfully stopped vehicles, and installing the high tech SCOOT traffic control system at 4000 sites cutting congestion by 12 per cent where it operates.

“We’re also encouraging deliveries outside the busiest times and exploring ways to tackle the rapid growth in minicabs.”

Both Transport for London and the London Cycling Campaign have been contacted for further comment.